Warped
by jhm.59
Summary: A re-write of 'Knock-Back', formerly written under my old alias 'SteeleRanger'. Slowly re-working it, changing it. Themes should be the same; minor character changes though, and again, some of the characters are from the first version of BTI. Rated M for future content. Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Patriot or any of its characters.**

It was early on a Friday morning. Getting sleepily out of bed, Jordan Cole looked over at the clock.

 _Oh crap, it's six fifteen! I was supposed to be up thirty minutes ago!_

Leaping out of bed, Jordan grabbed a clean shirt and the nearest pants she could find.

"Shit, shit, shit!" she muttered, struggling into her clothes.

"Jordan, what's going on?" a voice called from outside her room; it was her younger sister, Jula.

"Nothing. I'm going to miss the bus." She replied shortly.

"Um, aren't you driving the truck today?" Jula asked.

"No. Dad took it for the day. I gotta hurry up and get ready for school; the bus will be here in fifteen minutes!" Jordan called back from behind the door.

Fourteen stressful minutes later, the eldest Cole sister was sprinting down the block to the bus stop, breakfast bar in hand, where the younger sister was already waiting. Just as she reached the stop, the bus pulled up.

"Nice one." Jula whispered in Jordan's ear; the latter stiffened and squared her shoulders

"Shut it."

It was 2:25 in the afternoon. Jordan sat hunched over her desk, head in her hands, eyes drooping.

 _Come on; let it be 2:30 already! God, US history is so boring!_

"And, before you go to begin spring break, for extra credit, you can go take a daytime tour to Middleton Place and then write a report about what you learned about the founder, Henry Middleton, and his son, Arthur Middleton, as well as some of the plantation's history. Now, I understand that tours can get quite pricey, but, the owners are offering vouchers, should you decide to go."

Surprised at her momentary attentiveness, Jameson snagged the last bit of the teacher's lecture.

 _Hmm...maybe...I don't need the credit though._

The girl zoned out for another two minutes until the bell rang. School was out and it was Spring break!

"So, you gonna do the extra credit, Jor?"

Jordan turned around to see her friend, Sarah, standing behind her.

"Maybe. It isn't as if my family can't afford it; I mean, my parents don't dole out the money freely, but they will give it to me if I'm doing _something_ educational with it; I don't need the credit, but I might do it for fun. So, I'll see. Maybe Jula will want to come with me. She's such a geek about this stuff. Loves it. What about you, are you going?"

"Can't. I'm visiting relatives over break," Sarah replied glumly.

"Oh."

"But hey, Robbie Davis told me that the place can get sort of creepy. He says that there are ghosts, and rooms in the House Museum part of Middleton Place that will take you back in time if you're not careful." Sarah finished with a mysterious smile.

Jordan scoffed.

"You really don't believe him, do you? I mean, he went on an 'aliens are coming' rant freshman year."

Sarah frowned and replied, "Well...not really, no. But I still think it would be creepy. I mean, the place is over two hundred years old."

"And that's what makes it creepy? Sarah, _that's_ what makes it interesting!" Her friend rolled her eyes.

"Jordan, you are _so weird_."

"I know." She replied with a laugh. "Are you still coming over tonight to watch movies?"

"I'm totally there!" Sarah replied with a smile. "I'll call you before I leave to let you know I'm on my way."

"Alright. I'll see you then!"

Jordan finished packing her backpack and went to go find Jula before heading out to the busses.

 _Hmph!_ She thought coarsely, _Ghosts and rooms that transport you back in time; now that's_ _a trip_ _! What will you dream up next, Robbie? Computers that suck you into their screens?_


	2. Chapter 2

BEEP!

Jordan's alarm clock went off; it was approximately 7:30 in the morning. She reached over to hit the snooze button.

 _Why did I set my stupid clock today? It's Saturday...oh, right, Middleton Place._

The girl groaned and sat up before reluctantly leaving the comfort of her bed.

 _Well, at least I won't be going alone..._

"Jula! Get up! It's time to get ready!" she called from the doorway of her sister's room.

"But Jor, it's Saturday." replied Jula sleepily.

"Jula, we're going to Middleton Place. You can sleep later."

"Oh, yeah..."

"Don't tell me you forgot already. You were totally psyched about it yesterday."

"Oh I didn't forget; I just didn't think we'd be going right when the tours started."

"Well I have to work later today, so there was no other time we could do it. Now get up."

"Fine, punk." Jula replied. "Who's driving?"

"Mom. Dad is going to need the truck for another day or so. Now _hurry up_!"

"I'm hurrying! God!"

It was nearly nine when Jula and her sister arrived at Middleton place.

"Do you girls want me to stay, or do you want to just call me when you're finished researching?" their mother asked as they got out of the car.

"We'll call you." Jula answered.

"All right, I have to run some errands, but my phone should be on. I'll see you two later."

"Bye, Mom." The girls spoke in unison.

"Alright, let's go pay and get in!" Jula giggled excitedly.

"And I thought you were tired." Her sister replied with an emphatic eyeroll.

"Yeah, well... that was earlier. _This_ is Middleton Place."

The elder sister laughed.

"You're crazy!"

* * *

 _Interesting oil paintings... I can't believe it; they actually date back to the 18th century... It's too bad that the House Museum is the only remaining part of the original mansion. I wish I could have seen what it looked like back then._

Jordan Cole stood observing an oil painting of Henry Middleton. Slowly, the painting began to shift, as if peeling back the layers of age and dust it had endured, but she did not notice.

"I wonder if Jula has seen this yet." She muttered. "I should go get her."

But when she turned to leave the room, Jake noticed that something about her surroundings looked different... _rooms in the House Museum part of Middleton Place that will take you back in time if you're not careful..._

 _Could it be?_

"Yeah right; that's stupid." she chided herself, and left the room.

"Jula? Jula, where are you?" she called as she wandered through the house looking for her sister.

 _Odd. Where has everyone gone off to?_

Leaving the House, Jameson went back out on to the grounds, where she found an exceedingly large group of people standing outside; it was nighttime.

 _Uh, I wasn't staring at the picture for that long. At least I don't think so._

"Jula?" she began to get worried. "Jula this isn't funny anymore! Jula, where are you?!"

Suddenly, Jordan felt an ironclad grip on her shoulder as someone took hold of her and turned her roughly around.

"In god's name, _stop_ your _yapping_!" hissed an angry voice from above her head.

Staring upward, she met the gaze of a devilishly chilling pair of eyes; she'd seen them before, in her history book at school. True enough, she had never really taken in the picture, but she never forgot the cold, unhappy, gaze; it belonged to Colonel William Tavington of His Majesty's British Green Dragoons.

 _Don't be stupid. That's not Colonel Tavington. He's probably a living historian. And if he is, he's definitely playing the part..._

However, before she could take in any more of him, her thoughts were interrupted by his pin-sharp voice.

"Are you deaf? Daft, perhaps, hm? Now answer me: What in the hell are you doing here, dressed in...in... _scandalous-looking trousers_ and a _shirt_ , no less? Are you some sort of freak-entertainment? Whatever you are, you're yelling at the top of your voice, and our _guests_ have _noticed_!"

Jordan's eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open.

" _Sir_ , I lost my sister, and am trying to find her. I'm sorry for upsetting you and your _guests_." she replied with a touch on the 's' to emphasize her huffy mood.

The historian's eyes narrowed.

"Forget it, I'll just use my phone."

"Phone? _What_ are you talking about?" he asked suspiciously.

The girl looked at him and began to laugh.

"Oh, this is _great_ …"

"What are you blubbering about?" he demanded, grabbing her arm.

"Oh come on, drop your act."

The man growled, "Come with me-"

He began to drag the girl forcefully away, toward a more private area of Middleton Place.

"Colonel Tavington?" a man who spotted them asked as she was being pulled along at a breakneck pace toward the back end of the stables. "Who is _she_?"

"No one of your concern. Just a runabout, behaving like a _prat_. Nothing I can't handle."

The captain's expression became quiet and grim.

"Evening, then, Sir…" he mumbled, but Jordan was focused on other concerns.

 _Colonel Tavington...Colonel Tavington? Is everyone always so in character here, or- Ohhhh no… This so can NOT be happening!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer 2: Mary, Braden, and any other characters not owned by _the Patriot_ but in the story _Behind the Ice,_ belong to SteeleRanger/jhm.59. Do not use without permission. Also, the characters of Jordan, Jula are co-owned by SteeleRanger/jhm.59 and Obsessed-1; again, do not use without permission.**

"There, I'll be back for you _later_." Col. Tavington snarled, shoving Jordan hard into one of the rooms in the large estate of Middleton place and slamming the door behind him. A 'click' signaled that she'd been locked in.

"Great, just great…" the girl said angrily to herself, hitting the door with her fist. "What am I going to do now?"

"Sit there and not _disturb_ the _peace_." came a voice from the other side of the door.

"Shut up!" Jordan shouted irately at Col. Tavington, who answered her anger with a low, throaty laugh.

"Ass!"

Jordan began to back away from the door, expecting the colonel to come bursting through the door, but all she heard was the thud of booted footsteps and the ring of spurs as he retreated down the hall.

 _Great! I get pushed back over two hundred years, and then as if that's not enough, I get locked in a room by the Butcher!_

* * *

"Jordan! Jor, are you still here?"

Jula rushed about the House Museum, looking for her sister, nearly knocking over an elderly woman in the process who gave her a dirty look.

"Sorry, I'm looking for my sister." she apologized quickly before frantically heading off to another one of the rooms that she hadn't checked.

Entering the room, Jula paused momentarily to glance at an oil painting of Henry Middleton.

"Nice painting." she muttered to herself. "But where _is_ my _sister_?"

Jula was just about to leave the room, when she spotted a black spiral notebook lying on the ground.

 _That's Jordan's.. She's got to be here._

"Jordan? Jordan, are you here?"

Silence.

"Jore, this isn't time to shit around! It's been an hour already!" Jula shouted, her voice wavering with panic.

Picking up her sister's notebook, Jula started out of the room, not noticing that with each step she took, the room and the House were changing around her.

* * *

Jordan stared up at a clock in the room she had been locked in; it read eleven.

 _Great, and how long do these things last? The least he could have done was give me some food if he knew he was going to be gone **that** long. And damnmit, I gotta go to the bathroom..._

"William, why are you being so hard on her? She was just looking for her sister."

The girl perked up at the sound of a female voice coming from the other side of the door and down the hall.

"She was being disruptive. And look at her clothing! She looks worse than a doxie!"

 _Colonel Tavington..._

"Let go of me, you punk!"

 _Jula! She got here! But, how?..._

"William, stop treating her like an animal; after all, it isn't as if she has anywhere to run off to." The female voice again.

"How do we know she isn't lying?"

Jordan continued to listen to the dispute, keeping close mental notes as it continued.

 _Mary... I think that was his wife's name..._

"If you want my opinion, and I _know_ you value it, I do not believe she is lying. You have her sister in one of these rooms, yes?"

"You have my sister! You have Jordan?!" Jula shouted with excited relief.

"Yes, Mary, I have _her_ sister." Tavington's voice grated.

"Then let the girl see her."

Quickly, the sound of several footsteps approached Jordan's room. There was a click and the colonel flung the door open, shoving Jula inside and closed it behind her, locking it yet again.

"Jordan!"

Jula ran over to her sister and wrapped her in a bear hug.

"Thank god you're all right!"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jordan answered, relieved to see her sister.

Suddenly, Jula broke away from the embraced and punched her sister on the arm.

"Hey, what was that for?!" Jordan demanded.

"Don't you ever go wandering off like that again! I was looking for you for an hour!"

"Sorry. But I only went away for a short time."

"Yeah, and ended up in another…"

Jula's sister laughed mirthlessly.

"Well at least we're stuck here together."

"You're telling me!" Jula replied with a laugh. "Not to mention, you'll have one heck of a report if we ever get back!"

"Yeah.." Jordan replied with a sinking feeling.

 _..If we ever get back..._


	4. Chapter 4

"William, you don't have to be so hard on them." Col. Tavington's wife chided him softly as they left the two girls locked in the room. "They're perfectly harmless––"

"You know _no such thing_ , Mary. We have no idea _who_ they are; they're not even _dressed_ properly." The colonel sniffed. "I'm going to keep them here, at least until I know more about their story. I don't care how lost they may appear-."

"They're _girls_!" Mary said firmly, grabbing a tight hold of her husband's left forearm.

"I don't care!" Col. Tavington replied angrily, pulling away from her. "Stay out of this!"

"No, I will _not_! At the most, they're likely in a simple mix-up. Grant them _that_ possibility," she insisted. "You have _enough_ sense for that."

"That was _different_ ," The colonel quieted his tone. "I don't know these people."

"So you'll treat them like vermin? Did you not see how frightened they were?" Mary pled.

"How can you be so trusting?" Tavington countered venomously. "And no, I only noticed how bold and _cheeky_ the smaller one was." He curled his lips in distaste. "No, Mary. I will not be lenient. I don't care that they're young girls and that they're frightened. Until I get some form of information on them and their intentions, they will be treated no differently then they are now."

Mary fixed the colonel with an icy stare, her emerald eyes shining with anger.

"Very well, _sir_ , have it your way. It is _not_ my _issue_."

With that, she swept soundlessly away from the colonel's side, descending down a flight of stairs at breakneck pace.

Tavington stared after, wondering if he should follow, but decided to wait until the lady's temper cooled.

 _Women..._

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

"Man, I gotta go!"

Jordan lay in a corner of the room, curled up in a ball.

"You okay Jor?" Jula asked.

"No, it's been way over an hour, and I have to pee!"

"Isn't there a chamber pot around here somewhere?"

"No, I checked already, before you got here."

"Damn."

A clicking sound from the doorknob being turned caught the girls' attention as Missus Tavington stood in the threshold.

"Can we help you with something?" Jula asked hesitantly, cocking an eyebrow.

"No…Is something the matter with your sister?"

"No, she... we couldn't find the chamber pot." Jula finished, her face slightly pink in embarrassment.

Missus Tavington rolled her eyes, muttering something about her husband under her breath; then, composing herself, she gave Jordan and Jula a wan smile.

"Follow me."

"Are we allowed to?" Jula asked.

To this, Mary laughed softly and replied, "What my husband doesn't know can't hurt him."

"What if he finds out?"

The colonel's wife shrugged.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. Now come with me and we shall get a chamber pot for your sister, and while we're out, we will also find something suitable for the both of you to wear."

"Thank you so much!" Jordan cried, leaping off the floor. "Now, where's the chamber pot?"

"Down the hall, fifth door on the right is mine and William's private chamber; you'll find one in there; but please, do be quiet. Our son is asleep."

Jordan gave a quick nod and headed quietly down the hall to finally relieve herself.

Several minutes later Jula and Mary reentered the room.

"Feeling better Jordan?" Jula asked with a smirk.

"Oh yes." She answered with a satisfied grin.

"Is my son still asleep?"

"As far as I know, yes."

"Then while he still is, we can find some dresses to fit you with."

"Do we have to wear corsets?" Jula asked.

Jordan sighed, rolling her eyes.

 _Duh, Jula. It's sort of a part of the undergarments._

Missus Tavington cocked an eyebrow. "They're not torturous if they're not tight-laced. And, luckily for you, it is late, so there will just be nightshifts for the both of you tonight."

Jula sighed.

"Great, now I won't be able to breathe. "

"Jula, shut up!" Jordan hissed. "At least we're not wearing them _now_."

Mary Tavington smiled, shaking her head, privately confused at the openness of the girl's speech.

"Don't worry, the corsets won't be too tight." she said. "But let's hurry, lest my husband should return early back here and find you two in our chamber."

"But, you said nothing would happen to us." Jordan commented slowly, beginning to get nervous.

"No, nothing will happen." Mary answered calmly. "But I do not wish to see him in anymore a surly mood than I have to."

Jula nodded.

"Good point."

"It is, isn't it?" the lady agreed, walking over to a wardrobe and pulling out a blue dress. "Here, Miss Jordan, you look about my size. Try this on."

"Thank you. And, Jordan, please."

"All right." Missus Tavington replied with a nod. "Here are some undergarments and a corset to go along with the dress. Now, being as your sister is… more in the _height_ than you and I, I'll have to look elsewhere for her things, so, please don't mind, but stay here and I'll be back shortly."

"No problem." Jula replied. "See you when you get back."

* * *

After the lady left, the two sisters took some time to become accustomed to their surroundings.

"Wow, Jor, their room is huge." Jula whispered. "And check out the four-poster. Dark mahogany with crimson velvet curtains, and pressed creme colored sheets. Talk about gentry-class. And, there aren't even any bugs around."

Jordon nodded.

"I know. There's not a single thing out of place here. Even his paperwork on the desk is in a neat, orderly stack. I could _puke_."

"Perfectionists, no doubt."

"Yeah, but they were probably raised that way." Jordan replied, pulling on the nightdress.

"Can you help me with the buttons in the back?" She asked just as the lady returned with her sister's clothing.

"Oh yeah…"

"Miss Jula, here are your dress and your undergarments. I'll assist you with the buttons when you're ready."

"Thank you. Just Jula; that 'miss' stuff is creepy."

"As you wish," Mary answered with a bemused look on her face.

Just as both Jula and Jordan were finished getting dressed into their nightdresses, Missus Tavington's son awoke and began to whimper; quietly, she walked over to his cradle, and picked him up, rocking him back and forth until he calmed.

"So, this is the little guy." said Jula, walking over to her.

"He certainly is. But he doesn't look like me; no, his looks are his father's."

Jordan smiled, but her smile quickly dissipated when the door opened yet again and Col. Tavington stood framed in the doorway, glaring angrily at them.

"Mary..."

"William, I was simply getting them some decent clothing to wear. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Do they have what they need?"

"Yes."

"Then please, follow me," he said huffily, turning to the sisters.

They nodded, and trailed him wordlessly out of the room, down the hall, to the room he had first locked them in.

"You'll stay here for the night."

Jordon gestured her ascent and stepped into the room after her sister; Col. Tavington closed the door, locking it behind them.

"God, he's an ass." Jordan muttered to her sister.

"Yeah he is. But then again, they didn't call him the Butcher for nothing."

"I don't know what his wife sees in him."

"Well, you know what they say: opposites attract. And, he has quite the reputation with the ladies, historically speaking. Player…"

"Yeah, I know." Jordon wrinkled her nose.

"Well, at least he left the candle he was carrying with us; we won't have trouble finding the bed."

Jordan laughed.

"You're telling me."

"So, we settle in? After all, we've got nothing better to do."

"What about your report?"

"Forget the report, I'm tired."

"Me too. All this _history_ has me totally worn out. I'm too worn out to even really freak out; maybe tomorrow, though."

Jordan chuckled.

"Yeah, well, let's just go to bed, and maybe we'll wake up away from all of this."

"Maybe, but I doubt it."

"Hey, don't ruin my dream!"

"Whatever, Jor. Good night."

"Night. See you in the morning."


	5. Chapter 5

It was half past five in the morning. Jordan awoke cold and shivering.

 _Dammit Jula, you took all the covers!_

"Hey, Jula…"

No answer.

" _Jula_ …"

Silence.

"JULA!"

"What?! I didn't do it! I swear!"

Jordan rolled her eyes.

"Hey! You took all the covers."

"Sorry. Here," her sister replied apologetically.

"Never mind, I can't sleep. I'm gonna get dressed."

"Have fun. I'm going back to bed."

"Uh, I don't think so," the elder sister tisked.

"Oh really?" Jula challenged. "Watch me."

"Jula, somehow I think everyone here gets up early. Ya know, _no_ Saturday TV 'n all?"

"Great, my whole weekend of sleeping in, gone straight down the drain." Jula replied with an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah, well, so is mine, if that's any comfort. But there's got to be more to this whole trip than just staring at walls."

"Yeah, I guess we could learn something. Although, I would rather pass on the corsets."

"Definitely." Jordan replied with a laugh. "But, not an option."

"Too bad."

"Well, again, I'm gonna get dressed, and I'll need you to _help_ me with the _corset_."

"And what about your hair?" Jula asked.

"Oh...I haven't thought about that..." Jordan mused.

"The colonel has to unlock the door anyway."

"I don't know about that, Jula. With the way he looked yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised if he left us in here until we died and then finally unlocked the door to take out our rotting corpses." Her sister commented while slipping out of her nightdress to pull on new underclothing.

"Yeah, but what about his wife?"

"I don't know. I think he's already caught on to her."

"So?"

"Dude, you heard her. _She_ didn't even sound like she wanted to test his patience. I mean, it's like MIA." Jordan added, reaching for her corset. "Jula, _help me out with this_."

Once Jordan was dressed, she helped her sister with her corset.

"His wife certainly has good taste." Jula muttered, facing a mirror as her sister laced up her corset.

"You're telling me. The green dress matches your eyes, and the blue one matches my grey ones."

Jula smiled.

"I know."

A clicking noise broke the conversation and Col. Tavington opened the door.

" My wife will help you with your hair and then you will meet me down in the banquet hall for breakfast."s

Jordan nodded and made her way towards the colonel, followed by her sister.

"Well now, you two look lovely this morning." the colonel murmured, a twinge of menace hidden in the undercurrents of his voice as the two came to stand before him.

"Save it." Jordan replied. "You hate us, we get it."

"Now why would I think that?" he inquired haughtily, toning his voice to a purr.

Jordan made to comment but Jula grabbed her arm.

"Shut it-" she hissed.

Col. Tavington raised the corners of his mouth in a smirk.

"This way."

Tavington and the two sisters left the room and walked down the hall towards his private chamber, where Mrs. Tavington stood outside the room waiting for them.

"Here are the _children_." He announced in a tone wrought with sarcasm .

"Thank you, Sir," his wife replied, an unspoken smart remark twitching at the right corner of her mouth.

The colonel stepped toward the lady and muttered severely in her ear, "This does _not_ please _me_ , do you understand?"

Mary Tavington smiled and gave him a mocking kiss on the cheek.

"Oh _quite_."

Col. Tavington narrowed his eyes, glaring at her, and she rolled her own in return.

"Dude, she has _balls_." Jordan muttered in her sister's ear.

"Yeah, _really_ ," Jula replied.

"Jula, Jordan, are you ready?" Mrs. Tavington asked, turning to the girls.

"Yes."

"Then we will go into one of the washrooms."

"So, how are you this morning?" Jula asked as Mary helped her get her dark brown hair into a colonial-style chignon, while Jordan, stood waiting, her dark mahogany hair already done up in the latest style of the time.

"I am well. What of yourself?"

"I'm okay. It is kind of scary though. At least my sister is here."

"I understand."

"How is Braden?" Jake asked.

"He was fed just before I met you this morning, so he should be in good spirits for his father to watch."

"I would hope so."

"Um, Mary?" Jula asked.

"Yes?"

"Look, I'm sorry if we caused any trouble yesterday. We just..."

"Things will settle when they do."

"But the colonel still doesn't seem too happy about it." Jordan remarked.

"Of course, he was not expecting anything of the sort; who would? But, he'll adapt, or fool himself in to thinking he has. In the meantime, my apologies for his surly behavior; it's not just you two; he and I had a bit of a _disagreement_ last night."

"Oh, well, we're sorry anyway," replied Jula dully.

Mary Tavington smiled.

"Your apology is accepted. But, time for a meal, yes?"

Jula let out a breath she only realized she'd been holding.

"Sound's like a plan."


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: Just a reminder; even though this story contains characters from Behind the Ice, events and sequences are going to be different. This is a different story._**

Jordan, Jula, and Missus Tavington headed downstairs to the banquet hall, where they met Col. Tavington and Braden.

"Wow, he's certainly in a better mood than when we saw him last." Jordan whispered to Jula, as she glanced over at Col. Tavington, who was holding Braden, smiling at him, and kissing the top of his head.

"Yeah, no moron here." Jula replied. "Where did he go?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be back as soon as he sees us."

"William…" said Missus Tavington, walking over to her husband. "How is Braden?"

"Perfectly content." replied the colonel. "I changed him shortly before coming down here."

Mary Tavington nodded in response.

"My dear, I apologize for this morning, as well as last night. I was upset, but I was out of line."

"I know you were. And I apologize as well; I didn't exactly make things any better."

Col. Tavington cast his wife a small smile; then he turned his gaze to rest on Jordan and Jula.

"Sir.." Jordan said a bit uncertainly.

"Jordan." replied Col. Tavington emotionlessly, his features assuming their typical cold look, yet it wasn't quite as cold as the night before. "Take a seat; there are three empty chairs next to me, as my captain is not feeling very well and will not be present today at breakfast."

"Thank you, Colonel." Jordan replied.

Settling next to her sister and Missus Tavington, Jula stared t nervously around at the officers sitting at the table. Some were eating, others conversing; but it seemed that the majority of them were gaping at her and her sister. Jae seemed to notice this too and leaning over to Jula, she whispered, "Hey, do I have "idiot" written on my forehead or something?"

Jula wanted to burst out laughing, but instead, hid it in the guise of sneezing into the kerchief placed at her spot at the table.

"Shut up, Jor." she whispered back.

"Well, it appears that we have new guests at the table today."

Jordan and Jula looked towards the head of the table to see Lord Gen. Cornwallis taking a seat.

 _Great, more attention...just what we need..._ Jordan thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Col. Tavington, would you like to introduce our new guests?"

The colonel inhaled, an eye brow twitching in his anxious change of mood.

"Please pardon my interruption, sir, but Col. Tavington has hardly had the time to even get to know our names. After all, we only _arrived_ here late last night." commented Jordan.

"Jor, what are you doing?" Jula whispered, but her sister ignored her.

"So, for everyone's benefit, my name is Jordan Barrington, and this is my sister, Jula."

Many of the officers nodded.

"A pleasure, Miss Barrington." commented Cornwallis. "If I may, I would like to request an audience with you two this morning after breakfast to _discuss_ some issues that have been called to my attention since your arrival."

Jordan whipped her head around to catch a glance at Col. Tavington, who cast her a subtle, sinister smile.

 _Oh fuck this!_

Turning back to the lord general she gave a forced smile and replied, "Yes sir, it would be our pleasure."

"Splendid! I shall see you in my office in thirty minutes."

Jordan nodded and gave him a forced smile.

 _Splendid...shit-bags!_


	7. Chapter 7

Twenty-five minutes later, Jordan and Jula had finished their meal.

"I guess we should ask someone where the lord general's office is." muttered Jula, wiping her mouth with a kerchief.

Jordan sighed in exasperation.

"I guess so."

Sidling up to Col. Tavington, who was leaving the banquet hall, the eldest sister asked, "Hey, you know where Cornwallis' office is?"

"Well, I suppose so." Col. Tavington drawled.

Jordan rolled her eyes.

"Not now. I'm not in the mood, and I don't have the time. Just give me the damn directions."

Col. Tavington quirked an eyebrow, an amused smile creeping up the corners of his mouth.

"Oh you _are_ charming... Alright, his office is just outside the banquet hall, down the hall next to the main set of stairs; it's the first room on your right."

"Thanks." Jordan replied shortly, and was about to go back to her sister when the colonel grabbed her arm, holding it in a vicegrip.

"Just a warning to you, Miss Cole; I might find your.. attitude amusing at the moment, but you had best watch your tongue, or you'll have trouble from more than just me."

"What about Missus Tavington?" Jae asked.

"What about her?" replied the colonel with an edge of sarcasm.

"Well, she seems pretty strong willed. How come she gets away with it?"

" _That_ …" his eyes narrowed, "is _not_ your concern."

"Well thanks for pointing that out." Jordan replied edgily. "We'll just be going then."

"Of course; I would so _hate_ to hold you up."

The girl walked back over to her sister, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her out of the banquet hall to Cornwallis' office and knocked on the door.

"Come in." a voice called from the other side.

Upon entering Cornwallis' office, the sisters took careful note that everything in the room was perfectly in its place.

 _God forbid I trip and scuff up the floors…_

"Please, sit down." said Cornwallis gesturing to a couple of chairs across from a large desk he was seated behind.

"Thank you, sir." Jula replied, sitting hard on the uncomfortable chair; there was no time for complaint, for Cornwallis was eager to begin.

"So…Apparently, yesterday night when you two arrived here, there was quite a stir in reaction to your arrival. You were, as Colonel Tavington put it, "scandalously clad" in what he remarked as being very odd, provocative dress; yet it looked like nothing he had ever seen before. He mentioned trousers, but they were of a foreign material, as well as shirts, but their design, like the trousers, was also unfamiliar."

"And..."

"Well, I guess what I'm trying to say here is where are you two from? And where do your loyalties lie?"

""Sir," Jordan fought with her words, attempting to sound less modern. "It would be very difficult to explain to you where we came from, maybe less difficult seeing as you obviously have noticed differences between the people of your society and us, noted in the way we were clothed yesterday; but it would still be no easy task."

"Milday, you did _not_ answer my question," Cornwallis interjected politely, but his eyes were narrowed with scrutiny.

"For the sake of things, then, our loyalty is to you." Jordan replied more firmly than she felt. "We have no where else to go."

"You don't know the way home?" Cornwallis asked.

"No, we don't. It's… confusing; in fact, this whole situation is confusing, and we would be better off just not explaining it to you but allowing you to find out bit by bit." Jula added, nudging her sister in the ribs.

"Oh? And how, do you suppose, we will find out?"

"We're really not quite sure." Jordan admitted. "However, if things go the way we want them to, you should be finding out some things about us very soon."

"We're sorry if our lack of answers bothers you; you'll get them, we promise." added Jula.

"Very well. We shall see; but while you are here, you will _not_ leave the grounds. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir." Jordan and Jula replied in unison.

" I will be placing you in the care of Col. Tavington and his wife, Mary. You will follow all of their wishes; if not, they have the authority to discipline you in whatever way they see fit."

 _Great_... _boot camp_... Jordan thought to herself. _I don't even like push-ups_ ….

 _The lady is fine...but why him_? thought Jula bitterly; sh replied tactfully, "As you wish."

"Yes, as you wish." added Jordan. "After all, my sister and I are guests here."

"And as such, it is necessary that we find you two some suitable quarters to stay in." replied Cornwallis. "However, this meeting is over, and you are free to go."

"Thank you sir."

Stepping out of the office, Jordan and Jula walked briskly up the main set of stairs, talking animatedly when suddenly, Jordan ran into something solid.

"Oh, so you're the new arrivals." A young, terse voice answered from above.

Jordan looked up to see a young soldier in a freshly pressed uniform; his brown hair was tightly plaited and he looked down at her with dark, endless eyes.

"Captain Aric Bryce." He held out his hand, assuming what he must have thought was a smile, but looked more to Jordan like a sneer. "I do hope you enjoy your time here."


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh… morning." Jordan spoke, failing to mask her grating emotions.

"Indeed," Captain Bryce replied, curling his lips in an unfriendly manner. "My, you _are_ fresh."

"Thanks?" Jordan's sister questioned.

"You should be, _yes_. It is always a pleasure to have someone new about."

" _Oh_ ," Jordan interrupted.

"Well look at you!" the captain elevated his tone and gestured pointedly, sweeping his hand from one sister to the other. "You are most certainly _lost_ , and haven't an ounce of propriety-"

"Give us a break! We just got here-"

"And about time then, that you _learn_. All the better to _fit in_ , of course."

"Is something the matter, Captain?" Col. Tavington strode toward the group, who had turned his way upon hearing his approach.

"Not at all, Colonel." Capt. Bryce replied lightly. "I was only assessing a small difference of opinion with our new _guests_."

"Is that so?" Tavington lowered his voice and fixed his superior with an even stare.

"It is indeed." Bryce fought back a simper. "They're quite charming, actually. _Lively_ , wouldn't you say?"

Slowly, the captain changed his expression from a sneer to a more edgy appearance that did little to mask the genuine anger beneath.

"They are, I agree," Tavington chose his words carefly, "But surely, you have not allowed a couple of _girls_ to impugn you so deeply."

Jordan gaped at the tense exchange, unconsciously taking a step forward, but Jula pulled her back, and she came to her senses enough to stop her gawking.

"I have not," the captain continued straying momentarily to the girls before her turned his full attention back to his subordinate, "But, a _warning_ , just the same."

"Of course," Col. Tavington bowed his head and stiffened his back.

Bryce nodded dismissively and with a quiet 'Sir' Tavington turned on heel and all but shooed the sisters back to their room.


	9. Chapter 9

"Girls, good morning. If you could, please try to be quiet in here my husband is working on reports." Missus Tavington greeted Jordan and Jula at the door of the private chamber she and the colonel shared.

"Sure." replied Jordan replied. "Anyway, good morning.

May I ask how did the meeting with Lord Cornwallis fare?" The lady asked, picking a whimpering Braden up from his cradle to rock him back and forth.

"Awkward." Jula replied.

Mary frowned and pressed,"What did he want to know?"

"Oh, just where we were from, how we got here.." Jordan replied, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"And what did you tell him?"

"Not much. Just that we were loyal and that we couldn't exactly tell him where we were from because the situation is complicated."

"Really?" Mary cocked an eyebrow. "How complicated might it be?"

"Um..."

Jula stared at her sister.

"Well, maybe you'll believe us..."

"Yes?"

Jordan took a deep breath.

"Milady, we're from the next millenium. The two-thousands."

"Really now…" Missus Tavington hid her surprise with a practiced expression of only mildest alarm. "And how do you explain such a possibility?"

Jula inhaled, expecting Tavington to look up from his work, but the officer was too preoccupied, muttering curses under his breath at a crumpled piece of parchment in his hand.

"Hold on." Jordan hastily interjected and ran off to the room where she and her sister had stayed the night before to retrieve her cell phone from her duffle bag.

"Here." she said re-entering the Tavingtons' chamber. "Look at this."

Jordan held out her cell phone with an expression of triumphant relief.

Missus Tavington gasped softly as she took the small electronic device from Jordan and held it in her hand.

"What is this?"

"It's a cellular phone." replied Jula. "We use them to talk with people. Unfortunately, it won't work here though. There's no service. But I'll explain that later."

"What's are you lot muttering on about?" Col. Tavington suddenly spoke up, pulling his attention away from the paperwork occupying his attention. "Can't bloody hear my own thoughts-"

"William, you may want to come here and look at this."

"Look at what, Mary?" he asked exasperatedly, getting slowly up from his desk.

The lady held out the phone to him and he took it from her, eyes wide, his left eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"What does this mean?" he asked.

"Sir, you were right in suspecting us." Jordan murmured quietly . "We're not exactly from here. Well, we are, but we're from the future; the next millenium, actually."

"My god.." Col. Tavington whispered softly.

"We are loyal, though." Jula added.

"I don't…what? How-what the hell kind of bullocks have you set astir now?!"

"Colonel, we know what will happen in this war." Jordan cut in.

"The end results, you mean?" Missus Tavington inquired, attempting to deter the colonel's rapidly growing upset.

"Yes." Jula replied.

"You won't like what happens." Jordan whispered.

Mary's brow furrowed with concern.

"Thankfully, I have my history book with me." Jordan reasoned quickly to ease some of the lady's anxiety.

"What do you mean?" Col. Tavington asked tensely. "You pop out of nowhere and suddenly you have all the answers?" He snapped. "Not the least suspicious lot of dullards, are you?"

Biting down the remark, Jordan met Tavington's gaze and answered with quirky smile.

"Colonel, I believe we may be of some very valuable use to you."


	10. Chapter 10

"Really? You're going to _leave_ , then?" Tavington asked almost hopefully, taking his son from Missus Tavington's arm and holding him close to his chest.

" _William_ -" Mary frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"Well I'd feel _a lot_ better," the colonel responded defensively.

" _Anyway_ ," Jordan cut in, "since I have my history book with me, Jula and I could show it to you; that way, you would know what _is_ going to happen before it does… It could help you make a few… _well-chosen_ decisions."

"Hang on, Jor," the younger sister cut in. "Don't forget: this happens only _if_ the book hasn't _unwritten_ itself."

"Okay…hang on, _what_?" Tavington looked utterly flustered and was fast on the way to assuming he had two mad strangers in his hands. "What are you saying? This is bloody _gibberish_ -" he finished with a wordless inhale.

"You need this book," Jordan said hurriedly. "The British _lost_. Those _punks_ you all like to make fun of? They became a nation when this squabble finally _ended_."

The colonel smirked, barely able to contain a disbelieving laugh.

"You're joking… those…. _Those_ -"

"Well they had some _help_ ," Jula interrupted. "The French kept their word; they blockaded the sea routes so the English could not retreat at Yorktown."

Col. Tavington continued to leer disbelievingly at them but when their expressions did not cease to be serious, his face turned grim.

"But…if it was a sea-route…if we knew this _just_ at the right time…"

Jordon nodded vaguely and left the room, returning momentarily with her history book.

"It's all there?" Jula asked.

"Yeah, every last word." Jordan replied.

"Give it to me," Tavington demanded tensely, holding out his free hand.

"No!" Jordon snapped, hopping back from him.

"You-!"

"Stop!" Mary gripped her husband's arm warningly. "Let her _speak_!"

* * *

Several hours later, Col. Tavington left his private chamber, an expression of consternation on his face, but he _did_ feel considerably less tense after his meeting with the new 'house guests'.

"Hey, we get that back, right?" Tavington turned to see Jordon following him out of his quarters; he glanced down at the book held in the crook of his arm.

"Perhaps," his mouth curled in an unfriendly manner; Jordan turned red.

"You'd be so screwed on a stick if we didn't offer that to you-"

"And when is that _my_ concern?" the officer mocked.

"Well I could just blow our-"

"Keep your knickers on!" Tavington snarled, "I haven't made any decisions yet. I don't even _know_ how much help this… _book_ will be."

"Yeah yeah, _okay_." Jordon held her hands up in surrender.

"So," The colonel stepped close to her and bent low until he was just above her face, "Why don't you keep things a little more… _silent_ , hm?"

The girl pursed her lips, biting back a remark.

"Yes _sir_ …"

"Good, now go back to your sister before this causes a stir."


	11. Chapter 11

"Oh good, I'd thought you'd run off," Mary Tavington greeted Jordon as she stepped back into the room, closing the door with a decisive 'click'.

"Not exactly," Jordon looked away, scowling; the lady ignored her mood and continued, "Well, since you're back, you and your sister here can help me by watching my son while his father is way attending to duties here at camp."

"Oh…" Jula was the first to respond, and she couldn't adequately voice an answer. "Where will you be?"

"Resting," she answered casually, "But Braden has already had his nap, and he'll want to be up, so, if you two could just watch him for a couple of hours, I would very much appreciate it."

 _Shit_! Jordon bit her lip. _Kids….not one of my graceful points_.

"Sure, no problem," Jula's voice echoed somewhere outside of Jordan's immediate conscious attention before she snapped back to the sudden reality.

 _Jula! ARE YOU NUTS?!_

Missus Tavington smiled.

"Thank you both. It really will do me well." Her voice was kind enough, but Jordon could still make out a feisty glint in her eyes.

 _Ya know, cause we could totally just say no_ ….

"I will bring some of Braden's things to your chambers, though, I did hear from the colonel, that you will be receiving new lodgings shortly."

With a nod, the two sisters left and returned to their room to wait for Missus Tavington to bring her son to them.

"Thanks, Jula, for signing our _death certificates_!" Jordon hissed, rounding on her sister as soon as they were alone in their room.

"Uh… why?"

"Because if we get something wrong, and you _know_ we are going to, we can't just be like 'Oh sorry…"

"What's gonna happen?" Jula huffed. "He poops his pants and it takes us five extra minutes to figure it out? Jeez, Jor, he's _a baby_."

"Hello, girls?"

Jae and Jula turned to see Missus Tavington standing in the entrance with Braden in one arm and blankets in the other, waiting patiently for the two of them to stop their quarrel.

"Are you two finished?" she asked in a light, unassuming tone.

"Did we start something?" Jordon replied without thinking.

Mary shrugged and passed her son into the eldest sister's arms.

"Here's the little one; I have a few of his toys, wrapped in his blankets. Mind you, he's crawling now, so you may want to watch where he goes." She advised.

Jula nodded.

"All right, shouldn't be too much trouble then."

"Thank you both, again," Mary smiled and handed Braden's things to the younger sister.

"No problem," Jordan answered with more assurance than she felt before she and her sister watched the lady leave.

"Now…" Jordan looked down at Braden who answered her with a blue-eyed gaze that closely mirrored his father's. "Now _what_?"


End file.
